1. Field
The invention is in the field of methods and apparatus for drying building walls and ceilings, particularly hollow building walls and ceilings that have become undesirably wet through floods, pipe breakage, fire fighting, or other disasters.
2. State of the Art
It is current practice in drying hollow walls and ceilings that have become wet to direct a flow of air against such walls or along such walls and ceilings to draw water therefrom. In some cases an attempt is made to circulate air through the walls or ceiling. This is done by drilling or cutting holes or making slits in the walls or ceilings and directing air toward such holes or slits.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,924 discloses special diverters which can be placed over expansion slots in a floor or slots made by removing a portion of a floor, or over holes cut through a wall or ceiling to direct flowing air into the floor, walls, or ceiling through such holes. The holes that are made through the floor, walls, or ceiling, must be repaired after the drying process.
Electrical boxes which mount electrical switches and outlets to walls provide access to the inside of at least portions of the walls. The inventor has found that he can take off the face plate of electrical switches or outlets and then pull the switch or outlet clear of the box and direct the air from a blower toward the box to create some air flow into the wall. With air merely directed from a blower toward an electrical box, however, the transfer of air to the wall or ceiling is very inefficient.